Working with Hindu myths and African proverbs, a Nepalese tale and the Old Testament, Zoe Childerley’s, In a Different Light comprises a series of magical images that are at once familiar and delightfully strange. Carefully constructed to conceal the way they are made, they remain fabulous scenes that immediately engage the imagination.

This project is also a collaboration with a group of poets, whose literary response presented alongside the images, brings another level of engagement with the folktale. The poets have versatile approaches, wealth of experience and creative minds, prompting viewers to conjure up their own stories.

Jackie Tracey, Commercialisation and Events Manager at thecentre:mk commented on the exhibition, “The latest WHITEWALL exhibition is a dramatic project, requiring the audience to search for how they relate to folk tales in the past , present and future. It requires the audience become part of the process questioning the meaning and passing the tales and messages onto their friends and colleagues propagating the stories for future generations.

The fact that respected local storyteller Philippa Tipper is able to present a story telling performance inspired by the work will reinforce this tradition.”

Milton Keynes Contemporary - WHITEWALL

For more information on past and future WHITEWALL exhibitions please visit www.miltonkeynescontemporary.co.uk.

The exhibition closes on March 15. A catalogue accompanies this exhibition and is available from Waterstones Bookshop in thecentre:mk, or directly from the WHITEWALL Website.

This unusual contemporary art venue, inside a shopping centre in Milton Keynes, has been set aside for exhibitions specifically commissioned from a wide variety of artists over 8-week periods. Called Milton Keynes Contemporary - WHITEWALL, it is over 18 metres long, located at one of the busiest entrances. As the public enter, they walk directly past the exhibition. The exhibition space is located in Midsummer Arcade, adjacent to John Lewis.

The centre constantly evolves its public spaces, providing visitors with cultural, entertainment and other attractions - in this case, bringing contemporary art directly to them during their shopping experience.

The area gives highly talented local and regional artists who are not part of any national touring circuit, an opportunity to show their work and engage with a much wider audience than usual.

The project is run as a professional gallery space to develop the profile of regional and invited artists and presents a variety of themes within a range of different media.

Exhibitions are selected from artists who can present and demonstrate exceptional creative vision and whose work is suitable for Milton Keynes Contemporary - WHITEWALL. Artists are asked to consider how they can adapt their practise and themes to present an 8-week long public art installation. A high proportion of exhibition themes will refer to Milton Keynes in some respect and artists are invited to submit proposals based on specific criteria. (see www.miltonkeynescontemporary.co.uk for selection criteria)

The space has been made available and funding for the entire project supplied by, thecentre:mk - and is curated by Justin Neal, himself a well known and respected artist based in Milton Keynes.